SteelSeries 3H Gaming Headset

Test Methods

To gain a fair feeling for the 3Hs abilities, I have tested them across a range of soundcards with a range of games and music. Fistly the headset was tested with the ASUS Commando onboard sound (SupremeFX), a Creative Live! Soundblaster Platinum and a Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic.

Tests:- Counterstrike: Source- Quake 4- CD played with WMP 11- DVD played with WMP 11- High Bitrate MP3 played with WMP 11 and Foobar2000- Teamspeak RC2 and Ventrilo

With Counterstrike and Quake 4, I was obviously looking for different things from the headset. With counterstrike, my main priority is accuracy. A player needs the ability to pinpoint an opponents location. This needs directional accuracy and clarity to distinguish between surfaces. Quake 4 on the other hand offers far more of an immersive soundscape, requiring a high frequency range, good bass response and again, clarity.

With the music testing, I opted for some of the most testing tracks I could find, including a range of genres and bass tests. With each test, I would look out for any form of distortion or crackling and the overall sound quality. In addition to the music testing, I watched the same section of the film 'The Pianist' on DVD for each soundcard.

Lastly, I used the 3H microphone for ingame communication via teamspeak and ventrilo with a range of audio codecs to see just how clear the output of the microphone was.

Register for the OC3D Newsletter

Subscribing to the OC3D newsletter will keep you up-to-date
on the latest technology reviews, competitions and goings-on at Overclock3D.
We won't share your email address with ANYONE, and we will only email you with updates on site news, reviews, and competitions and you can unsubscribe easily at any time.

Simply enter your name and email address into the box below and be sure to click on the links in the
confirmation emails that will arrive in your e-mail shortly after to complete the registration.